Daeridhrim Chronicles: The Sheikah
by Faethin
Summary: 'Of the Fall of Hyrule'. Impa the Sheikah is the last of the line of Ben Turandir. But although is but bereft of her kin, she still finds relief to her loneliness in the heir to the throne of Hyrule. And she vows to always protect her; even from him.
1. Of Dark Men and the Hylia of Old

                A. N. I'm back!

                Yeah, I'll admit that finishing and leaving behind my last fic was hard: after all, I had spent a lot of time making it (though it was fun as it could get!). But you know? In a way I didn't leave it behind. This idea that occurred to me can be seen as an extension of _Tales of the Middle Ages_. But then again, it's not the same thing. Oh, no. I must confess that I feel a slight fascination for the Sheikah, and though that's why I decided to put this up together I don't plan to make it as long as the other. 

                Well then! Before I begin, please let me refer to my last fic: for a better conception of one of the characters to appear in the future, check out chapter 5 of _Tales of the Middle Ages_. It's not absolutely necessary, but I think it might help a bit.

                Enough! Welcome back those who know me already! Simple welcome to those that do not!

'_Shadows follow all creatures, whether they be __Men, Elves of Hylia. Yet, the fear or feeling of dread that all experience before them is not innate, though it is easily acquired as one grows into full-growth of mind, body and heart. Since the beginnings of their existence, Men have, above all other races, feared darkness. When in Hildorien they first awoke beneath the sun, shadows or night were not present; and they were content to live and breath under a lit sky. The men laughed, the women sang and the children played._

_'But with the passing of time came the night. And when the Sun had sank beneath the western horizon, Men were afraid of the lack of sunlight; and they wondered and wept at the death of the Light of the World._

_'There were amongst Men, though, a strange and obscure people that did not quail before night. Rather than cowing in fear and wonder, they rose their face away from their hands and looked into the night sky. "Behold!" their leader exclaimed, and his people beheld the moon and stars. "What is this that tries to mimic he Sun's light yet cannot yield but soft and white light?" he asked, and the people wondered at this. "It is a sign," some said. "Nay! It is a warning!" said some others. But the wiser remained in silence, for they perceived they had no answer for this riddle._

_'Thus, the night passed to these people's grief and to all other Men's joy. But each day, when the Sun grew weary of its path across the sky and lies down to rest in the Western Halls, Men went to sleep and forgot about the night's perils; and the Dark Men came forth to behold the shadows once again, and they would find interest in darkness, though themselves would not be evil. Shadows may conceal evil, but they may conceal a great many more things._

_'Wisdom and peace are amongst these last. And while Men wandered and fell prey of evils that lurk the world, Dark Men grew safe and wise amidst the shadows. And when Men had left the east to seek new relieves for their sorrows, Dark Men remained alone and in peace for many a long year, until one fateful day, when the Door that leads from the Sea was found…'_

_                Turandir Morthol, first Lord of the Sheikah_

Of Dark Men and the Hylia of old.

'Long had our forefathers dwelt in peace in the east of Middle Earth. Their wisdom grew and prospered steadily with the slow yet quick passing of the years. To protect themselves from the evils that roam the night, the Dark Men became strong warriors also. Thus, Dark Men, few though they were, became one of the most powerful races of the Secondborn when the World was young but ripe. Thence comes the ancient strength of us, the Shadow-folk.

'With the night's perils there came also the Dark Elves, a race of strange beings fairer than our sires in many ways and not bound to the death that is the fate of mortals. In an act of great kindness they became teachers of them and taught them in the ways of great wisdom. The lore of the folk of old increased greatly by this; and their lives may seemed harsh and unwholesome to the few Men that met with them by chance, but the Dark Men grew in mind and body and strength more than any, save by a few tribes of the west.

'This is told because the lore and strength that us Sheikah posses is matter of wonder to the Hylia even in these days of late.

'Our true origin, though, lies in a not too distant past. There once was a child of these Men of the Shadow, who were called by the Firstborn _Moredain_, that longed for adventure and strange new lands. Ben he was called, and in him many of the Dark Men sensed the true nature of his folk: bold, kind, lover of peace and quietness and shadows. When the moon was full, and the stars were dim beside him, the child would often wonder far away (as it goes for a child) from his tribe in the look for new things. So it was in his childhood, and so it was in his early manhood. And as he grew, his fares would be longer and more distant; and many other young men would often go with him.

'Now it chanced that Ben found the Great Sea, westernmost of the lands of his people's dwelling, after many a long day of walking with his companions in his search for the unknown lands. Four had accompanied him during his journey: Ban his brother, Bera the Strong-hand and Ifta and his wife Danriel, for women were held to be as worthy of glory as any man within the Dark Men. Together, the company had crossed the Great River, after beholding it in great wonder, and had come upon the shores of the centre of western Middle Earth. There, the greatest of doubts had come to them, for a thing of such size that stretched far beyond the sight of their keen eyes was unknown to them.

'But Ben said to their companions: "Behold! For we have found a lake that covers all lands greater than Arda. And was it not us those who found it, for the first time for the Dark Men? And look at its size! It is the greatest of things that I have found in the name of my kindred. How shall we name it?"

'Then Danriel the manhearted spoke: "How can you know that this has not a name of its own already? For we cannot know if people greater or older that us already have found the Great Water.

'"You speak truthfully, my wife," said Ifta, and then he spoke to Ben: "And I am sure that you would agree with Danriel. How do we know if no other has a claim over it already?"

'These words upset Ben in a great way, but he deemed them right nonetheless; and he decided to ask for counsel in later times, when the shadow of weariness would not be over him.

'After some nights of lingering near the Sea, they returned to the lands of the Moredain and spoke of the Great Water that was greater than any pond, river or lake that the Dark Men had ever seen. And among the youth of them a seed of desire for journeying with Ben was sown. But the elders were at unease, though they bade Ben to gather a few of his own kin and set way again to the Great Water. For they perceived the great promise of a new dwelling for the Men of the Shadows that quickly grow weary of the same lands about them. Thus, Ben, who was now called the Great Wanderer, gathered again a company and at once departed for the Sea.

'Again, Ban, Bera, Ifta and Danriel went with him; but a great part of his house joined him shortly afterwards on his quest also, and his father was named leader of the host. Ben loved his father, but it is said that he was not willing to be bereft of command in a journey that he had begun.

'"Why must it be that you are to lead our people in my stead even if I am present?" he asked his father on an afternoon when the host rested near a pond.

'"Because I am the elder of our house," his father answered to his discontent. "Therefore, I shall guide our people to their new fate, though I do not think that you should worry: none shall hold this event as my doing."

'"Still, I would have you yield the command of the Wandering Dark Men to me", said Ben proudly "For, was it not me who found the Great Water?"

'"Truly," said the elder, but he was unmoved. "But I have something you lack still, although I deem it shall not be for long: knowledge in the leading of a host. You have not yet come to learn that the fates of men under one's command is no small thing. What might happen if evil falls upon us and a man without experience is caught as a leader? Nay! I do not want to even think of it. But I say to you, my son: do not be impatient! For the time of your role as the leader of the Morandiri is not far off."

'Thus spoke Ben's father in wisdom. But the young man was proud, and he did not suffer being called unlearned in the ways of leading. He gathered a small group of faithful followers and spoke to them: "Behold the time of our parting. Since the elder will not yield command to the one who rightfully deserves it, I shall go. But who shall follow me in the showing of great friendship?" 

'As mall number of those gathered refused his guidance, but the rest assented; and so it was that Ben the Wanderer left many days before the main host with a small band of trusted friends in order to reach the Sea ere his father, thus beginning the first of a series of events that would end in the finding of Hyrule.

'The band again reached the Great River on its eastern bank, and there they rested for a while. Ben and Ban were set in the greatest of the tents amidst the centre of the, but the rest of the company, of which there were two score of men and women, remained near the shallow banks. Then, when all were settled and at ease, Ben went to the great gathering about a fire in the night and spoke to them.

'"Ye who have followed me in great loyalty, listen to me!," he said with a great voice. "Behold the Great River that runs to the south of these alien lands about us. Do you think that it is great? Do you hold it as the greatest of the waters that you shall see? Do you feel the desire to remain nearby its shores and dwell in peace? It would not be strange if you do so; yet, I say to you: the Great Water by which we have left our lands is the mother of all waters, and this River is but a small child compared to where I lead you. So if any of you had the mind of remaining hither and make your house and home amidst the rocks and streams that end in the banks, do not doubt my word: that you shall dismiss this Great Stream as a mere tributary to the Great Water should you follow me to the end. Thus I have spoken, he who leads the faithful host of the Dark Men of Wander. Who will forsake my guidance?"

'None of the men or women spoke, but a great clamour arose from the company; and no Dark Man would relinquish the guidance of Ben. So it was that the first of the hosts of Men held altogether in a single company that headed to the Sea. That night, music rang, and many voices, fair and not so, sang many songs that the Dark Elves had taught our sires many a year ago from them.

                _Now that the Sea is not so far-off,_

_                Now we shall march, to nightfall and moon,_

_                Whatever our mind might be thinking of_

_                To rest and to joy we shall arrive soon._

_                Dressed in the shade, darkened and fair_

_                Huntress among, her people she is_

_                Cunning with bow, of yellow bright hair_

_                Maidens of dark, that fill us with bliss._

_                Clad in shadow, strong and yet kind_

_                Warriors of Men, that shun evil's way_

_                Leader among is Ben the Great Mind,_

_                Who shall guide us to a new and fair day._

'So they sang, singing about the fair and strong maidens of the Morandiri, of the strength of the Dark Men, of their leader Ben the Wanderer and of their fate that was not to delay much any longer. And the night passed, with its stars and shadows; and thus came the day. The company returned to the tents and rested, in accord to their people's custom. But in that hour, when the sun is high and in the middle of the sky, wanderers from afar lands came across the encampment of the Dark Men and wondered at it, for it was silent when it should have been filled with the sounds of men, women and children. Elves they were, of the Sindarin Folk, and Lindwë was their leader. With silence, he approached to the tent in the middle of the bivouac and called in the fair voice of the Grey-Elves _Aiya!, _which is "Behold!", for he had seen the designs that adorned the tent of Ben before; many years ago when he had met the First of the Dark Men that had wandered and strayed even as near as the wood of Eriador. Then Ben was aroused and leapt outside.

'In surprise and great wonder he beheld the Elf, and it seemed to the leader of the Morandiri that he was the fairest of the creatures in the world. He bowed and greeted him and his folk with fair words in the language of old men, that was related to the Elven tongue having been taught by the Dark Elves. But Lindwë smiled and answered in Ben's own tongue: "Do not take me for a strange and divine lord, for I myself am not more than a mere scout in these wild regions. Yet I wonder: what might a band of the Secondborn be doing here, before the vast lands that outstretch ere the dominion of the Sea?"

'Ben was pleased to hear that the Sea was not far, and he answered as one that has been pleased: "I am leading my people to the Great Water, which you have named Sea, in the hope of finding a better dwelling for them and for myself also. I have found hope again, now that you tell me that the Shores of the Sea are not far away from us."

'But Lindwë was grieved by these news, and he spoke again to Ben and warned him of the wild lands that were outside the fair Beleriand. "The time for journeying you could not have chosen in a more dreadful hour," he said. "Have you not heard of the Dark Lord that lives in the North? North though his evil may be, he has many outstretched claws in the world, and far to the south of Eriador his minions wreak havoc as well.

'Ben was utterly displeased with these news, and he at once made his mind: that they would, then, have to fight through their way to the Sea, for none should stop them in their quest. But he thanked Lindwë and his folk for the tidings nonetheless and offered them rest amongst his company. To his great joy, the Elven band agreed and spent the rest of the day and the whole night amidst the encampment, singing and speaking in fair voices; and as dusk approached the Dark Men were aroused one by one at the sound of music and laugher. Thus the Morandiri had one of the most joyful nights of their, although many thought that the Elves had remained with them out pity instead of weariness.

'When midnight had come, and the moon was high above them, Ben and Lindwë were sitting away from the mirth in the centre of the encampment. "It is my wonder how you Men tolerate the night and its shadows as if they were peers to the things of daylight," said the Elf to Ben, and the man smiled. "This is  most uncommon amongst us Men, as you might know already," he replied. "Most of my kindred fear the night and its beings, whereas we delight in the peace and quietness that it brings." He laughed when he gazed at the celebration again and noticed how Lindwë smiled also. "Merrymaking is strange to us, though we are not Men that spend their lives in mourning. Yet, the night is ever our faithful companion"

'"Then your folk deserve a new name," said Lindwë turning to Ben with a light in his eyes. "For it is not fit that so wise and peaceful a people should have a name that many relate to evil and wickedness. Dark Men love the shadows, but not what they might conceal; rather, they love the very nature of night: quietness and silvery lights. Therefore, I shall name anew your folk in the manner of us Sindar."

'Ben was silent and in wonder, for he had not thought ever of these matters with enough earnest ever before. But he became interested and asked: "I thank you indeed for your words. I would gladly be called something else instead of what most consider and evil word. How might you name us, dwellers of the night?"

'"That is not difficult," said the Elf laughing in his turn. "Do you not love the stars? Do you not love the night? Do you not love dim lights? Do you not love the shadows? Then I shall name ye the _Daeridhrim_, and may your folk prosper in the night that most of us beings of Arda fear.

'And Ben felt proud and great of being part of the Shadow Folk.'

A. N. As usual, my translations: 'Moredain' is 'Dark Men'; 'Morandiri', is 'Dark Wanderers'; Turandir Morthol means 'Master Pilgrim of the Black Helm', and that's one of my favorite names! Of him I will talk later on.

                Well then! How did you like it? Am I being too much of a Tolkien fan? Next chapter will deal with the rest of the journey and with the finding of Hyrule, though I don't know if I'll leave it right there. Umm… let's see… No… Nope, my crystal ball tells me that I might make it a little longer. Don't despair! I swear it won't be much longer!

                I would appreciate every well earned comment that I would receive, but I ask you please not to flame; I've seen pretty bad stuff out there and FF.net yet have never said anything offensive. So please leave a review when you leave. ^_^


	2. The Song of Parting

                A. N. I felt inspired a while ago and wrote this. This should be taken as the sequel to the last chapter. Please, being this poetry, I would strongly ask you to read and review it. Come on! Make me smile!

                '_The night went through, and so did the day after, and the Elves taught what little they could to the Wandering Shadow Folk. Ben and his people became as grateful for the knowledge as any boy would be from his father or older brother. Yet, no bliss is for ever, and soon the Elves were to leave back to their own realm in the northwest of Middle Earth. Ben, as loth as he was to be parted from them, realized that they also had to march forth into the wild again in order to reach the Sea ere the rest of his kindred._

_                'Of the last meeting of Ben and Lindwë a minstrel of the Sheikah has made a song. We Shadow Folk will remember it as one of our most precious traditions, for it was made to celebrate the farewell given to each other between the Old Sheikah and the Sindar and the precious gift the Elven leader gave to Ben the Wanderer: the Black Helm._

_                Turandir Morthol, first lord of the Sheikah_

The Song of Parting

**_Listen to our song of shadow_**

**_Hearken to the words of the Elf_**

**_Dressed in Night's cloak, clad in Moon's veil_**

**_Standing alone atop the hill_**

****

**_Silence about conceals our folk_**

**_Shadows below reveal our joy_**

**_Bright stars above have shone for us_**

**_And day shall come soon to arise_**

****

**_'The Sea is not away from here_**

**_Ben shall guide us with his wisdom_**

**_Morthol Turandir of shadows_**

**_Receive from me the helm of Night'_**

****

**_'I shall receive the Casque of Shades_**

**_I shall guide now my folk's own fate_**

**_I shall honour my word and go_**

**_And we shall be bound with friendship'_**

_Lindwë of the Sindar:_

When shades are filled with Ithil's light

And farewell we must bid

When friendship is sworn during night

Ere dawn the shadows rid

When parting is not great a joy

And Dark Men shall go forth

Remember us the Twilight Folk

That dwell far to the North

_Ben Turandir:_

Now that we march away from here

Into the unknown lands

Now that the Sea is found in there

Away from evil hands

Now that I must part with my folk

To find a land of worth

We thank ye all the Twilight Folk

That dwell far to the North

_Lindwë of the Sindar:_

Farewell bravest of Men of Dark

We Elves must depart now

When only fell sounds you can hark

Remember our kept vow:

That should you be called by the name

That we have given ye

The night will come in your own aid

In the name of Lindwë

_Ben Turandir:_

Farewell dearest teachers and friends

We Men must now depart

If nigh is chance of evil ends

We shall not be apart

For to the Men that love the night

And dwell in fair lights dim

The Sindar are the allies now

To us Daeridhrim

                A. N. I put this here so that people will read what I consider an original idea. How many writers of the Zelda category have tried to write about past ages of Hyrule? I really regret that not many; all of them are always coming with the same plot over and over doing the same style in their fics and never attempting something new. There are, of course, some that have. Want to read a very well written fanfic starring Zelda and Link? Check out The Kirby Kid's fics. Also, don't take this a critic to other authors. I have seen great fics out there that deserve recognition (all in my humble opinion, mind you) and that I'm quite happy to have found. Don't be mad at me! I just like to ramble from time to time!


	3. Of the Orcs and the Shadow Folk

                A. N. I'm not dead! Really! It's just that schoolwork and stuff can be _so _annoying…

Anyway,  for this tale the reader would get a better picture of the plot if you read _Tales of the Middle Ages_ chapter 5. Again, it's not necessary but I think it could be a good way of understanding what I'll say in this story.

                Aw, come on. I'd like to thank the same people as usual, but I would really like to get more reviewers. Read and review and Varda Elentari will make the stars shine brighter over you!

                _'Long did the Daeridhrim wander in the centre of Middle Earth, and some began to despair after many days of journeying in the wide fields of southern Endor. Yet, the will of Ben the Master Wanderer held the Shadow Folk together, and thus they fared across the plains and mountains of the south till they reached a strange region in which mighty Mountains arose before them, and they were all white with sharp peaks in their summit. And the heart of Ben and his brother, and that of Bera Strong-hand, and those of Ifta and Danriel were glad, for they had been in the fields about the White Mountains many months ago, a brief time ere they had found the Great Water._

_                'But the tide of events that led the Sheikah to Hyrule was drawing to an end, and the Great Evils that would afflict the Realm of the Hylia were soon to come, though they would pass through Middle Earth first. Many of the foul race of the Orcs had fled from the terror of the Elves of the north and had established themselves in many settlements of that part of the World; and the land was fell the clear ponds were defiled all about the fields south to the White Moutains. So it was that the band of the Wandering Shadow Folk came across, at length, with one of the many breeds of Goblins._

_                Ban the Secondborn, second Lord of the Sheikah._

Of the Orcs and the Shadow-Folk.

                "It is not safe to linger here," said in a whisper Ban, and his brother nodded silently. Ben Turandir had went as a scout before his people in order to bring tidings of Orc-settlements that may have hindered their way; and to his great dismay the third of those foul encampments lay before his eyes. He stooped over the rock in which the brothers could espy the Goblins again and began to count.

                "Thirty tents," he said at last, and his brother sighed in relief. "But I can tell that no less that three Orcs are there for every one. Indeed! There must be about a hundred of them. And they seem to bear weapons; knives and clubs perhaps, but arms still."

                "Then I must return to our folk and warn them yet again about an Orc-hold," said Ban forgetting his small relief. "But three already we have found. And less than a league lies between them. They must be all of the same breed, if there can be any kind bond among those fell creatures."

                "There can be, do not doubt it," said Ben as he sat down quietly over the rock. "Though they may hate everything about themselves, they hate us more altogether. And any usual quarrel that may arise between them they would forget at once should they see us. We cannot pass through here."

                "How could we wander in these lands about before and never notice this?" asked Ban as he sat beside his brother. "It is not possible. Did our senses go numb as we walked beside the mountain-skirts?"

                "Nay," replied Ben coldly, as one that slightly dislikes what is said. "We did not lose our skills during our first journey; rather we enhanced them. Therefore, these creatures cannot have more than two months of having dwelt here. Alas I say, though! At times like this, I repent of my pride: for should our house be gathered right now, nothing would there be for us to fear; the Shadow Folk would cleave down the Orcs like scythes on the grass. Yet, none can tell whither the rest of our host is now."

                "Yes, none can tell," said Ban, and they went silent. The shadows that cast themselves about the small gully in which the Orc-hold was were growing darker, and the Sun was already nigh on reaching the west, and the Moon shone brightly as if trying to call for her. The Goblins paid no heed to the rocks above and about them, unless someone's pain could be kindled by them, and so the brothers were shielded from all eyesight. But the night was coming, and though they would have rejoiced at this in times of ease Ben and Ban took one last glance down at the Orcs and stood up. "We must return to our people now," said Ban again, and his elder brother agreed. They silently crept back to the pass from which they came.

                After two hours of walking they came across a small grove of pine-trees were everything was quiet, except for the slight sounds of their footsteps and an occasional owl's hoot. The Sun had finally gone down and the Moon lighted their way. But the silence quickly became absolute; and out of the shadows there came suddenly a low voice, like a song that spoke in staves. 

                _Has the Morthol come back?_

_                Has his kinsman come back?_

                "Yea, we are come," replied the brothers as the singing in low voices continued. But it then suddenly stopped, and down from a tree another man clad in dark blue leaped. He held a longbow in his hand, and in his back was a leather quiver with arrows that seemed to glow with a silvery light. About his girth were many small daggers, and there hung a golden sheath with a sword-hilt wrought with many golden figures.

                Ifta gazed at them for a while before calling in a long and sharp whistle the other guards about the trees. "What news, then?" he asked in earnest. He had also seen some Orcs wandering far-away beneath the mountains earlier in the day.

                "There are three Orc-encampments scarcely five miles from here," answered Ben. "At least such number we saw. I regret to tell that no less than three-hundred Goblins we saw today thus. Alas! Though our skill is far superior to that of the Orcs I do not think we could overcome them by the use of arms.

                "This is evil news indeed," said a voice that came from behind Ifta, and after a while Danriel came along with Bera Strong-hand. "This is, indeed, a time when we could rue our departure from the main host of our house. Ben Turandir, I do not hold you guilty of anything; but how shall we save this hindering?"

                "We shall find a way," answered Ben sternly. "Even if we are outnumbered, if we travel in the veiling of the night I do not think that the Goblins will be of much trouble. But then again, I must first hear what our company says about this. As for your first words, Danriel: indeed, I myself have somewhat regretted our departure. Yet, I bid you not to speak these words aloud; for I do not doubt any of you, yet amongst our folk there are some faint-hearted that would despair should they hear them.

                "You say that we should counsel with our folk," said Bera, and he drew himself up as one that is in haste. "Let us go then! Our council cannot endure after day comes, and the gathering and settling of our company will not be quick the longer we linger."

                "Very well, my friends," said Ben Turandir. "Let us hope for a swift solution."

                The rousing of the people took place shortly after. Out of many tents Men, women and children came out at the hearing of the call by their leader. "Ben Turandir calls for his people!" the heralds cried. "Turandir Morthol wishes to speak to his folk!" And the men wondered at this and bade their children to remain in the tents. But the women would also go to the council, for they could grow to be as strong and wise as any man amidst the Daeridhrim; and there were many maidens and wives that heeded the call and left their children for a while in the care of the eldest brother who was not come yet to manhood. Soon, two-score of strong Shadow Warriors of the old Sheikah were roused and following the heralds to the gathering place in a clearing that stood like a small island in a sea of trees. Tall they were, yet the trees did not frighten the men and women of the Shadow-folk; for they had proven great allies in the hour when the Dark Men had been in the need for a hiding place in time of danger.

                When the company had arrived and sat down, the heralds cried one more time: "Behold! Our leader in this great quest wishes to speak to us in matters of great concern! Hearken to him, men and women of the Shadow." And when these words were over, Ben Turandir stepped into the middle of the gathering, and out of respect the company stood up and bowed. The Master Wanderer bowed in his turn and bade his people to sit again.

                "Hear ye all, people of the night!" he spoke in a loud voice. "I will not linger in the words: I have called for you all to discuss a solution to a current problem. I led you from our first abiding place back in the wild to our current place. Yet we are still not in the shores of the Great Water, the Sea of the Elves. And though it is my desire to arrive there swiftly, one thing hinders our path.

                "In our scouting routes, my kinsman and I have found a number of Orc-holds that are scarcely a league away from each other. Each one of those fell encampments holds not less than a hundred Orcs, and though they may be slow-witted and wild they patrol the borders of their settlements in the lands about them. Thus, my kinsman and I slew many also, during our trip. Now the safest thing to do, for I do not wish to begin a battle in which we would lose, is to cross the pass beneath the White Mountains during the night. The Orcs have poor sight, and they will be frightened even more in the veils of the shadows. But I bid you, my folk, please ponder about these matters, for there are sure some things that may hinder our way along with the Goblins."

                The council did not last long, yet it was full of voices and minds; and in the end the voices of few men were heard debating the choices to be made.

                "But it is not settled yet," an elder among the Men spoke aloud. "If we travel by night we shall be indeed fare in greater safety. But you say, Ben our leader, that some sixty miles still lie between us and the Great Water. We cannot travel without rest during the day, and to stop and sleep in the open of the day being still so nigh to the mountains would be dangerous for our folk, for we shall be bereft of the safety and cover of the groves."

                "What would you have us do, then?" another voice replied, and this was Bera's powerful voice. "Would you rather fight a battle without a chance for victory? We the Daeridhrim may be strong; but we cannot overcome so many Orcs with our children at stake. And I am sure that the Orcs will not be without arms other than wipes and clubs.

                "When have we cowed before Goblins?" asked the old man. "Have we not fought with Orcs in months and years past? I do not doubt Turandir's judgement; yet I would bid him not to underestimate his folk's own strength. I myself may be old, but my sword and knife are as sharp as any young warrior's blade."

                "I do not underestimate my folk's strength," said Ben in a cold voice, and many did not like the fact that the old man had angered the Morthol. "I myself have slain many an Orc during my own journeys, and so have my friends, doubtlessly. But I do not wish to risk the lives of my folk in this journey. Have you forgotten that we bring children in our company as well as men and women? Though our skill in arms be great, fathers and mothers will be slain in this battle; and I do not want a single child to be bereft of a parent because of a fight that had naught to do with them. You ask for battle, but you do not judge wisely the cost of lives that it may yield. Your arms are sharp you say? Well then, I grant you to take willing warriors to battle; I shall not force any to follow my will. Yet, I will counsel the men and women of the Shadow Folk not to march in arms if they spare any thought for the children that await for you in the tents."

                There was a long silence, followed by the low voices of the men and women talking between themselves. Whispers and mutters, and the air was filled with indecision; for the Shadow Folk were proud and strong, and they did not like the thought of flying before mere Orcs that hindered their way.

                Seeing that the debate was to continue for a while now, Ban approached his brother and spoke to him. "What do you make out of this?" he asked. "Surely you know that the choice will be lain on you again rather than on them. And I think that you shall have to make the choice swiftly: the day will not linger forever.

                "So it seems," said Ben, and he was silent. The voices still hung about the brothers for a while.

                "There is something that worries me," said the younger at last. "The faint-hearted will think of this time as an omen for having left our kindred behind long before the crossing of the Great River. That will smote the mind of many if those of the weak will are many.

                "Whether you are proven right or wrong, it is time to make a choice," a woman's voice said, and Ben knew the voice of Danriel the Valiant. "How  shall we settle this debate? Dawn is still far away, in a sense. But the matter must be cleared ere long; or we shall have to suffer the consequences of the those faint-hearted you speak about."

                "Then I will make a choice," Ben said with a sigh of resignation. "Though I do not like to force the will of those who accompanied me in the showing of great loyalty." And they went silent again, the voices ever debating quietly about them.

                Suddenly, a horn rang across the air; and the silence that followed afterwards was unlike any other they had made, for it was a silence of fear. Out of the shadows there came the watchmen that had stood guard in the girth of the grove, and some were wounded and haggard.

                "The Orcs have come!" they cried many times, and the men and women of the Shadow stood still as statues in their surprise. But that did not last long; Ben called out aloud and his folk ran back to their tents. Swift as shadows disappearing when light is abroad, they went back to their children with haste that only blind madness could have overcome. Men and wives departed, but the few that remained unmarried or childless gathered about Turandir. And they asked him for counsel.

                "How could this have come to pass?" said Ifta in dismay, but his hands already held his long-sword and knife.

                "They must have sent scouts abroad, just like we did," answered Danriel drawing her long-knives. "And they must be especially wary since they have not been in these lands for long."

                "Still, the grove is wide," said Bera, and his battle-axe shone with the pale rays of the Moon.

                "I deem you right," Ban said looking about him and pointing his two-handed sword towards the south, and the blade was like a great silver arrow gleaming in the twilight. "But this is not the time to discuss it. What shall you bid us to do, my brother?"

                "What shall I bid you to do, you ask?" replied Ben sternly, his mighty sword in his hand. "I would bid you to haste back to the encampment and help evacuate our folk. But I will need sturdy warriors to hold off the Orcs for a while, and I believe you would not take any command to return and fly from battle. Therefore, I will ask you to follow me. And gather all men and women willing to do so." He held out something in his hand and went silent. He then nodded his head as if bowing and put it aloft. The Black Helm did not shine with the moon-light. Instead, it remained as dark as a moonless dusk that is already giving way to the night Then, lifting his sword and pointing it to the Moon, he called aloud, so that anyone nigh of him would hear:

                _Aphado enni pain'in puler! Sereg in Yrch siritha an vedui lu!*_

Then all who could hear him cried in battle call and gathered behind Ben Turandir. And he led them into the trees and beneath their tall branches. A dozen men and women went with him, and Ban his brother marched beside him. But Ifta and his wife Danriel went in the rear of the company, and Bera Strong-hand went nigh them taking long strides as he walked. Thus the Shadow-Folk's childless warriors headed for the open fields about the grove in the hope of finding and waylaying the Orcs ere they could find the fathers and mothers of the company. Though it was scarcely a mile from the clearing to the outsides, Ben would have reckoned a longer time, for the thought of battle with foes that outnumbered them by long was in his heart and mind; but he did not feared it, and he kept on going.

                The men and women who had argued before between themselves had long since gone, and silence again loomed about them. The sternness in their faces was great, and some warriors were eager to battle with the Orcs, so reckless and resolute they were. Yet, their leader did not share this thought, for he had been present in battle before, and he knew the value of unhindered and unnoticed march across unknown lands. He pondered heavy matters in his mind, and only his brother could notice his uneasiness. On they went across the thick grass and low boughs, and they were in unrest with anxiety of fight. But at length they reached the entrance were the trees grew thinner and the grass was not as tall.

                Lights coming from kindled torches reached their eyes, and Ben bade them to remain low. And then he gazed at the lights and tried to count the Orcs. Ifta and Danriel came to his side.

                "What can you see?" asked she, gazing also at the fires.

                "Not much," answered Ben. "But the torches they carry are on either side of their company. There must be about thirty Goblins."

                "That should not be of any worry to us," said Ifta. And he raised his sword and pointed towards the Orcs. "Give the signal, Ben. We shall cleave through them like scythes on grass."

                "Wait!" a voice cried, and they were surprised, for it was that of Bera the Strong-hand. "Already I see more lights approaching the ones before us. And the host is greater."

                Ben gazed again into the darkness, but his keen sight of the Men of the Shadows aided him. And he saw indeed that more companies of goblin-warriors joined the first. The moon barely shone back in their blackened scimitars, and their foul armour was as black as the Black Helm, but it did not have by any means the lineage or majesty of Lindwë's gift to Ben Turandir.

                "It would be foolish to strike now," Ben said so his company would hear him. "We must wait till dawn to see if they are match or out-match for us; and maybe they shall end up being no match."

                And so they waited till the morning light came.

                A. N. *'Follow me all who can! Orkish blood will flow for us for the last time!' Yeah, my Sindarin is improving. ^_^.

                So! I know it's been quite a long time since the last chapter. But All of you know how hard can it get when in school. Heheheh, how many of you can pass unscathed before physics's maw?

                Anyway, I'm already working on the next chapter. Oh yeah: notice that the title of the last chapter has been changed. It just didn't seem right for a song to be considered a chapter.

                See ya around!


	4. Of the Fall of Hyrule

                A. N. I was bored one afternoon and a terrible writer's block was on me. So I said _What the heck!_ And went on to write this. Since it features Impa, I thought it could still be included on the Chronicles. Have patience! I'll get done with Ben and the rest of the first Sheikah quite soon!

                _I am alone. I am utterly alone, for that is the doom of my kin: to vanish into the shadows and walk about these lands never again. The slow waning of the Sheikah that began from the very first time a Man wedded a Hylian maiden is come at last to its end, and the Shadow Folk shall not walk abroad anymore. Yet I do not rue bitterly this, for my life is already spent, even if my body is not yet. But I have suffered too much in this world already to have any real reason to be alive – except, perhaps, the child that has grown to be like the daughter I could never had had._

_                So, even if I do not desire to flee from this castle but fight to my death, I run across the hallways in search for the heir of the Lord of the Hylia._

_                Impa Erwen, last Lady of the Sheikah._

Of the Fall of Hyrule and the Sheikah's light:

The corridor seemed endless, with its woven curtains hanging from the windows in the eastern walls, but still Impa the Sheikah ran; and her will to save the princess was greater than her wish to face the enemy and die a chieftain's death. On and on her strides took her from hall to hall, fire falling from the windows as arrows aflame. She barely noticed the many voices of pain and fear that echoed in the stone of the walls; and she noticed not at all the roars of fury and hatred that went along with them. One thing there was on her mind.

                She reached the staircase at the entrance of the Great Hall and gazed about her: the last battlements of soldiers were already giving way to the hoards of Stalfos and Dinolfos, and these creatures would soon take the entrance and declare victory. Cries of despair and fear reached her ears, and anything she would have given to go and aid the last brave Hylians at the gate. But the one thing on her mind kept her from doing so; and she heeded not their calls. Instead, she leaped from the top of the case and made it to the door leading to the last corridor before the courtyard. She hated running away from battle.

                The door swung open before her mighty push. After glancing at the end of the hallway, Impa looked back for a while and faltered, as it seldom occurred to her. Her mind did not change though, and she was running for the exit moments afterwards. Again, screams rang and hoarse roars followed closely; and out of the shadows of the corridor, the Sheikah saw a monstrous figure of a body; but its flesh was gone, and only his bones remained, and they held a gnarled blade with a small shield in its left hand. Just then it trusted its blade and drove it through a brave knight guarding the exit to the courtyard. As the Hylian fell and darkness took his sight the monster turned and noticed the Shadow Woman; and it spoke harshly in the Hylian Tongue.

                "Gather all your strength, woman," it said as it pointed the blade towards Impa. "You're cursed kin is lost, as it's your skulking King. Heir! Heir! Where's the Heir?"

                "My lady the princess is out of your reach," Impa said firmly, and the Stalfos knight cried in fury and charged at her. But the fierceness of the Shadow-Folk does not quail ever, even if but one remained then, and the Lady of the Sheikah was the strongest warrior since the days of her longfathers. A knife flashed in her hand as a one-sided blade stopped the lounge, and the monster's head fell cloven in half by the Sheikah sword.

                Impa sheathed her longer blade but kept the knife drawn. She reached the door and threw it open with all her might. As the hinges creaked, the courtyard appeared before her eyes; but there was smoke and fire, and the din of the arms at clash filled the air. The Shadow Woman gazed about her again in search for the princess, but the reek of the fire clouded her senses, and the yells of falling soldiers and screaming monsters numbed her ears.

                "Alas!" she cried. "Where can she be? Of all places she could have been hiding this is the last."

                The air suddenly was raised with new sounds. Hoarse voices and horns were heard, and the voices cried as if one: "Heir! Heir! Where is the Heir?" The Sheikah turned eastwards, whence the horns had come, and understood the sign: the castle was lost, and no soldiers remained in the courtyard to her aid. With the first stroke of despair she had felt since the beginning of the battle smiting her heart, the Sheikah ran westwards into the last place where the princess might be. Over fires that smoked and flickered all about the stained grass she leaped, and lying on them she saw many a brave soldier that had fallen pierced by an evil arrow even before the battle had begun. And as she reached at length the threshold to the inner yard, again she heard the horns and the evil voices: _Heir! Heir!_

                Behind the all the smoke and noise, Impa saw a crouched figure of a young Hylian maiden with her arms about a handmaid lying in her lap. With great relief, though, she approached the princess and called for her.

                "Princess Zelda!" she said. "Princess Zelda! You are safe!"

                The princess raised her head, and Impa saw she was unscathed, yet her face was stained in blood; but she rubbed away her tears with her sleeve. "Impa! Impa!" she said wavering, but she broke into weeping again. The Sheikah approached the princess and stooped forwards and put her finger over the wounded maid's throat.

                "She is no longer among the living," Impa said sternly, though she felt pity stir in her silent heart as Princess Zelda gave a cry and embraced the maid once again, staining her dress. The Shadow Woman was not of the kind that ignored sorrowful moments, but the feeling of haste was returning to her, and she bade the princess let go her and come along.

                "There shall be none to remember her or any other servant, soldier or knight if we linger here," The Shadow Woman said. "Please, my lady, let us go! I must take you away from peril." But just as she had said this, a creak loud and fell rang in their ears; and the princess cowed down and put her hand in her mouth. The Sheikah drew once again her long blade as two Dinolfos had leaped from the roof-top and had landed on the yard. They treaded over the fair and carefully planted flowers and let out a deafening wail. Impa at once flung herself at one of the beasts and slew it quickly. The other swung and swung back its broad sword, but the Sheikah sprang back, and her knife quickly drove through its scaly face.

                "We must not linger, child!" she called, and Princess Zelda stood up. But before she ran to her bodyguard's arms, she turned her face one last time to the windows that showed the darkened halls of the throne room. Another tear fell from her eyes, but she quickly ran back into the Shadow Woman's protection.

                The stables were not far off from the courtyard, yet the Sheikah and the princess had to avoid many battles between the last desperate soldiers of the realm and the fell beasts of the Dragmire's army; and time and again Impa felt her heart roused to yearning of battle, but the terrified princess ever clutching her hand tightly kept her on her sense of duty. At length they reached the stalls, and the place was one of the few that had not been burned or taken in the siege. Many archers had positioned themselves at the walls that surrounded the building, yet the quietness of those that know that death was unavoidable but receive her in peace was in their faces. The captain among them leaped from the watch-post and asked for news from the castle.

                "The castle will fall, and so will the city shortly afterwards," Impa said, and the captain nodded his head in sadness, for many of the Hylians under his command had wives and children of their own dwelling in the city; but the archers would not yield to their foes till death.

                "As lost in despair as we are, one thing I shall do ere we fall," he said. Some of the Hylians had overheard his words, and though many of them had tears in their eyes, neither jest nor rebuke came from anyone's voice. "We have still plenty of horses that await rider to bear in battle, embassy or message delivery; yet I bid you: take my horse and begone from this place! 'Tis the swiftest beast you will find in the castle, for great friend of mine is the owner of Lon Lon Ranch, and as a gift it was given to me. Rocheleg is her name, and it is the white mare over yonder." He pointed to the last of the fair steeds that were there.

                "I thank you, captain of the brave Hylians of the castle," said the Shadow Woman, and she turned away. But Princess Zelda spoke for the first time since their fly from the inner yard.

                "What's your name, captain?" she asked in a timid voice, and the captain turned to her and smiled, if only in a sad manner.

                "Surely you are our lady, Princess Zelda of the house of Hylia," he said, and as she nodded he said: "It softens my heart to learn that you yet live. It is well that the Sheikah will take great care of you. Listen always to her words! But as for your question: I am Meninen of the guard of Hyrule. But the name shall be forgotten soon."

                "It won't be forgotten, I promise you," she said trying to sound noble, but a childish quiver was on her words. The captain smiled once again at her tenderness and said: "Hasten, my lady. The Shadow Woman is already waiting for you."

                Princess Zelda noticed the sound of hooves over cobblestone and sighed. Impa came along, already over Rocheleg and helped the princess up onto it. It whinnied and they departed for the southern exit.

                "Farewell, brave archers of Hyrule!" Impa called as she passed the walls. "May your bows bend and defend us till they part."

                "Farewell, woman of the Shadows!" Meninen called back. But he doubted the Sheikah had heard his words. He turned round and saw that not far away there marched the army of monsters, with the Gerudo King himself at their lead. His horse was huge, black-hoofed, with red glaring eyes. With a great shout he commanded his minions to charge forward and take the last post of the castle with fury. The Hylian captain frowned and said quietly: "This is our last stroke against the evil ones."

                He ordered the archers to shoot down at will ere the darkness overcame them; and thus fell the last beasts of the Dragmire's army ere the complete fall of the castle.

                Amidst the short battle that followed thereafter, Ganondorf himself wounded the captain Meninen and held him to be dead. But though the castle was taken, he was tired after a whole search in the castle; and he had not found was he was looking for; and his wrath was great. He ordered his monsters to pile the heads of those who had fallen in the siege and to throw them into the moat and to cast everything they could as well; for he desired to defile as much as he could the river that ran as a moat for the castle and for the city. When he had spoken, he rode forth from the stalls and headed for the gate. He knew now were that which he desired was, where it was heading and where should it be caught; for he had ordered to bar the entrance to the castle with his best soldiers.

                Rocheleg was as swift as the captain Meninen had told, and Impa and Princess Zelda had ridden through the yards and the roads to the entrance. But when they came to the gate there Zelda cried again in fright and despair, and Impa drew her longer blade and held it aloft; for shortly ahead there were gathered all sorts of fell beasts that had not been in the siege and had been waiting for the loot and spoil: Lizalfos, Armos, and more Stalfos and Lizard-warriors. They all roared in expectation as they saw the white mare approach with the princess riding her, and they foolishly reckoned without the strength of the Sheikah thinking that yet another handmaid would be theirs to slay. But the Shadow Woman did not quail ever, even if there were outnumbered by far more than tenfold. She rode on and swung her blade in the air; and in that moment some of the hidden power of those of the kin of Ben Turandir was shown. With a violet light the blade gleamed in her grasp, and she let out a terrible shout of fury; for the lust of battle had overcome her senses for a while. When the first of the beasts stood in front of her Rocheleg did not swerve, and the mighty steed trampled down the monster at the same time Impa hewed off the heads of three Dinolfos in a single blow. The Dragmire's minions quailed and ran away from the fury and light of the Sheikah, shrieking and calling out harsh names to the princess and her guardian.

                So it was that the last of the Shadow Folk lingering in Hyrule clove her path through the foes of the realm. Since the gate had been torn and broken, Impa and Princess Zelda passed it with ease as the beasts roared again, this time in anger and fury. But among them came another call, and they turned and hailed their King as he swiftly had ridden from the stalls to the gate. He had seen the light flash through his minion's ranks; and the madness of haste was on him. If the princess should escape into the fields, then his chances of finding her quickly would vanish. Crying in utter hate, he whipped his stallion, and the Gerudo Beast whinnied and quickened its pace. He too rode through his monsters and was out of their sight as he hastened into the city.

                Rocheleg now had crossed the town square and was nigh on arriving to the gate. With a cry the Sheikah called for the door-opener to lower the bridge in haste; but instead of hearing a response, Impa heard a cry coming from the tower that stood as watch post for the city. Then a body was cast from the upper level, and she sternly gazed at the fallen soldier that operated the gate. A monster peered from the window whence he had been flung and cried in laughter. But without wasting any time the Shadow Woman drew a bow from Rocheleg's side and shot at the beast. The laughter died at once, but because of some strange grace the monster fell over the lever that held fast the chain of the gate. With metallic clanks filling the air, the gate was lowered. At that time, Princess Zelda heard the sounds of the people calling for her. She turned round and cried once again; for she saw Ganondorf riding towards them with a deadly gleam in his eyes and his huge scimitar drawn. 

                But the bridge was set over the moat ere he was even nigh, and Rocheleg flung itself to the wide fields of Hyrule; and the Gerudo King's hopes vanished as the white mare disappeared beyond the gate. All of his plans, his labours, his battles in the castle, they were foiled. The princess lived yet, and still she held the Ocarina.

                A. N. On with the names: 'Meninen', literally 'Way of Water.' Yep, I was out of names, Matt. 'Rocheleg', 'Swift Horse'. Not a terribly original name, but it still works.

                Leave your comments! I appreciate everyone of them. Feel free to niptick if you want to, I always appreciate that, right Squeak?


End file.
